Point of View

Noticing who is telling the story, and how that person’s view shapes what readers see and feel.

Every story is told by someone. In first person, a character tells the story using “I,” so readers only know what that character knows. In third person, a narrator outside the story uses “he” and “she,” and may share what several characters are thinking.

Point of view matters because a narrator can’t see everything, and may not be completely fair. Some books switch narrators between chapters, and noticing whose eyes you’re looking through changes how you understand what happens.

How to teach it at home

Three techniques you can use during any reading session.

  1. Find the narrator. At the start of a book or chapter, ask “Who is telling this part?” Look for clues like “I” or a character’s name at the top of the chapter.
  2. Swap the view. Ask how a scene would sound if a different character told it. Retelling it from another side shows how much point of view shapes a story.
  3. Check for fairness. Ask whether the narrator might be leaving something out, or seeing things only their own way.

Questions to ask

These work with almost any book.

  • Who is telling this part of the story? How do you know?
  • Is the narrator a character in the story, or someone outside it?
  • How does ___ feel about what’s happening?
  • How would ___ tell this part differently?
  • What doesn’t the narrator know yet?
  • Do you trust the narrator? Why or why not?

If your child gets stuck

  • Look at the pronouns together. “I” and “we” usually mean first person.
  • Check the chapter title. Many books with more than one narrator put the narrator’s name there.
  • Act it out: have your child retell a scene as a different character.
  • Use a real-life example, like how you and your child might each describe the same disagreement.

Books for practicing point of view

Each of these books has questions about who is telling the story and how they see it.

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